RTA auditor: Metra payout to CEO excessive

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The Regional Transportation Authority board today will receive a new auditor’s report that concludes there was no good reason for the Metra board to give its ousted CEO three years worth of severance pay.

Alex Clifford was given more than $700,000 when he was fired earlier this year.

Metra officials argued, they paid him off to avoid the cost of a lawsuit; but the auditor says Metra has insurance that would have limited its losses to just $150,000, even if it lost the lawsuit.

The RTA is even suggesting that Metra should try to get back some of the Clifford settlement.